Devanampriya, also Devanampiya ( Devanagiri देवनामप्रिय ) (

Brahmi script Brahmi (; ; ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system of ancient South Asia. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' ...

: 𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸𑀦𑀁𑀧𑀺𑀬, ''Devānaṃpiya''), was a

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...

honorific epithet used by a few Indian monarchs, but most particularly the Mauryan Emperor

Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

(r.269-233 BCE) in his inscriptions (the

Edicts of Ashoka The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of more than thirty inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire who reigned from 268 BCE to 232 BCE. Ashoka used the exp ...

). "Devanampriya" means "Beloved of the Gods". It is often used by Ashoka in conjunction with the title ''

Priyadasi Priyadasi, also Piyadasi or Priyadarshi (Brahmi: 𑀧𑀺𑀬𑀤𑀲𑀺 ''piyadasi'', Kharosthi: 𐡐𐡓𐡉𐡃𐡓𐡔 ''Prydrš''), was the name of a ruler in ancient India, or simply an honorific epithet which means "He who regards others ...

'', which means "He who regards others with kindness", "Humane" However, this title was used by a number of Ceylonese kings from Uttiya to Yasalalakatissa from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century CE. The Kalsi version of the Major Rock Edict No.8 also uses the title "Devampriyas" to describe previous kings (whereas the other versions use the term "Kings"), suggesting that the title "Denampriya" had a rather wide usage and might just have meant "King". Prinsep in his study and decipherment of the

had originally identified Devanampriya Priyadasi with the King of Ceylon Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura. However, in 1837,

George Turnour George Turnour Jnr, CCS (1799–1843) was a British colonial administrator, scholar and a historian. A member of the Ceylon Civil Service, he served as a Government Agent, Assistant Colonial Secretary and Treasurer of the Colony. He is known for h ...

discovered Sri Lankan manuscripts ( Dipavamsa, or "Island Chronicle" ) associating Piyadasi with Ashoka: Since then, the association of "Devanampriya Priyadarsin" with Ashoka was reinforced through various inscriptions, and especially confirmed in the

Minor Rock Edict The Minor Rock Edicts of Ashoka (r.269-233 BCE) are rock inscriptions which form the earliest part of the Edicts of Ashoka, and predate Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts. These are the first edicts in the Indian language of Emperor Ashoka, written in th ...

inscription discovered in

Maski Maski is a town and an archaeological site in the Raichur district of the state of Karnataka, India.Amalananda Ghosh (1990), p282 It lies on the bank of the Maski river which is a tributary of the Tungabhadra. Maski derives its name from Mahas ...

, associating Ashoka with Devanampriya: ;Historical Usage Devānaṃpiya may refer to: * Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura (died 267 BCE), ruler of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura from 307 to 267 BC *

(ca. 304–232 BCE), Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty *

Dasharatha Maurya Dasharatha Maurya () was the 4th Mauryan emperor from 232 to 224 BCE. He was a grandson of Ashoka The Great and is commonly held to have succeeded him as the imperial ruler of India. Dasharatha presided over a declining imperium and several ...

(ca. 232 to 224 BCE), grandson of Ashoka, in his

Barabar caves The Barabar Hill Caves (Hindi बराबर, ''Barābar'') are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, dating from the Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE), some with Ashokan inscriptions, located in the Makhdumpur region of Jehanabad distric ...

inscriptions, in the form "Devanampiya Dasaratha". *Vāṉavar aṉpaṉ, early Tamil for "the One who is Loved by the Gods" - title of a Tamil Chera chieftain of early historic south India.

References

{{reflist Edicts of Ashoka